


Did You Take Your Medicine?

by anidalah



Series: Kim's Life is Strange Drabble Compilation [9]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Nathan has bipolar depression, drabble challenge, unhealthy relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-04 02:35:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10981575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anidalah/pseuds/anidalah
Summary: “Nathan, have you been taking your bipolar medication?”Nathan didn’t skip a beat, quickly answering with a short, “No.”





	Did You Take Your Medicine?

Over the months as Jefferson worked with Nathan, something rather unexpected happened: he began to genuinely care for Nathan. It wasn’t a healthy or normal attraction by any means. He was quick to get angry with Nathan, setting him right, and certainly he would never care about Nathan more than his artistic vision. Still, he’d grown to loathe it when someone else upset the boy. He truly didn’t care if he’d pissed Nathan off or made him sad, crying even. If someone else did that to Nathan, though, Mark would be furious.

  
Despite the affection he’d grown for Nathan and the small amount of compassion he held for the boy, there were still a few things he couldn’t handle. He hated it when Nathan would prattle on about stupid high school issues; they never actually mattered. He despised it when Nathan tried to take on his own artistic vision; Nathan wasn’t ready. What Mark loathed, though, was when Nathan would go through a manic phase. Specifically, when he was having those moments where he just talked and talked and just simply wouldn’t shut the fuck up.

  
Mark tried his best to ignore Nathan, work on some pictures and the binders for their project. However, when he started working on Kelly’s binder it was 9:30 and it was now past 11. Nathan hadn’t shut up once in that entire time and, frankly, it was a little concerning, especially since he didn’t even catch on that Mark had been zoning out the whole time.

  
“Nathan, have you been taking your bipolar medication?”

Nathan didn’t skip a beat, quickly answering with a short, “No,” before continuing on with whatever he’d been talking about prior.

  
Jefferson sighed in irritation. Of course Nathan hadn’t been taking his meds and probably hadn’t in quite some time. It explained why he’d been so abnormally insufferable the past week. Well, that and the obvious manic phase that had been coming on and was now in full swing.

  
“Take your medicine.” It would likely take days for the medicine to get back in Nathan’s system again and start to even him out, but at least it would likely cause the manic phase to be a hell of a lot shorter than it would be without it. Mark reached into the bottom desk drawer, where a small box containing some of Nathan’s medication remained just in case it was needed. He pulled out one of Nathan’s bipolar medication pills as well as a pill for anxiety, just for good measure. He looked up at Nathan expectantly as he set the pills on the desk.

  
Nathan glared at Jefferson, his eyes narrowing as he said, “No Big Daddy, I won’t take your pills. Fuck you!”

  
He said “Daddy” almost mockingly; Mark wondered if Nathan was purposefully trying to get under his skin. Nathan did have a bit of a habit of trying to display dominance because he had something of a control issue. Still, he was never like that with Mark. Mark was unquestionably the one in control between the two of them.

  
“What the hell is your problem?” Mark snapped as he grabbed the pills and walked over to Nathan, trying to force the pills into Nathan’s hand.

  
Nathan glared up at him. “Have you seriously not been paying attention at all?” he grumbled, going to grab his signature red jacket that he’d placed over the back of the couch. “Whateverfuckever. I’m leaving.”

  
But Mark wasn’t going to let him leave, not like that. He placed the pills back on the desk and walked after Nathan, grabbing him by the shoulder and easily subduing him. Nathan would have liked to say that a struggle ensued, but Mark was far stronger than him.

  
“Just… take your damn pills before you go.” Mark huffed, dragging Nathan back to the desk. “They’ll help you feel better.”

  
Nathan groaned a rather bitter, “Fine,” before downing the pills dry just so Mark would let him go. He knew that technically Mark was right; the pills would help. The pills would help bring him down, especially since he was sure Mark had grabbed one of his emergency pills. Still, it wouldn’t make him feel better in other ways. It wouldn’t make him feel less crazy.

  
He took a few steps away before glancing back at Mark longingly. He didn’t want to be alone.; he did bad, crazy, stupid things when he was manic and alone. He couldn’t go to anyone else, though. Everyone had their own shit to deal with. He wanted to stay down in the bunker, alone with Mark, even though he sometimes found the man frustrating as hell.

  
Mark didn’t say anything, though. He remained quiet as Nathan turned to walk away. Finally, he spoke as Nathan was in the threshold separating the Dark Room from the supply room.

  
“Nathan, just one more thing,” Mark said, trying to sound nonchalant. He hated how much he cared about Nathan. It wasn’t part of the plan; it could ruin everything. Still, he found himself saying, “Stay.”


End file.
